Museveni urges Africa to assert military supremacy
October 15, 2006 By charles kazooba
Uganda (AND) Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni wants Africa to unite militarily and counter threats by world powers
Decades of Africa’s military inferiority should end, President Yoweri Museveni has urged. The Ugandan leader has asked the 53 African states to integrate and engineer military supremacy to encounter threats by world super powers.
“Inability to build credible military forces that can guarantee the future of the African race. I have been reading American documents. They are now talking about four-dimensional superiority. They want to be superior on land, in air, at sea and also be superior in space. So, when we were guerillas, we would hide in the bush but now when somebody is in space even when you are in the bush he is looking at you. So how do we survive?”
Museveni, propelled to power through a guerilla struggle, said He added: “Can Uganda conduct space research? Can Kenya conduct space research? We are just here sitting. Aren’t the Europeans going to the moon again? Why are they going there? You thinking they are going for a holiday?
They are going to get resources as a basis for them to come and control us here. Why don’t Africans ask themselves why are these people going to the moon. Why are they going there without telling us what they are doing there? This is a common property. It is very dangerous. Yes! Let them go and we also go.
If we all go we shall get peace in the world. But if only one group goes to the moon and the others stay here, there shall be trouble. But Uganda cannot go to the moon alone. We do not have the potential to do it.” Museveni was launching consultations on the East African Federation on Friday 13 at Resort Hotel Munuyonyo, Kampala.
The consultations were simultaneously launched in the three partner States of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. The EAC Secreatary General, Jumah Mwapachu, attended the Kampala event. The federation, according to the secretariat’s time table is expected to start in 2011 with a one rotational leadership among the bloc partners and thereafter elections of a regional president would be effected after three years.
“We occupy one of the biggest land masses (11million square miles) with considerable natural resources. Why can we not turn part of this landmass into a powerful and secure base for the black race? That powerful base will ensure the future of the blackman. Besides, the blackman be able to go to the moon.
They (whites) are looking for more natural resources as well as new bases for military supremacy. The black race is just sitting in these micro-political units created by colonialism completely oblivious of what is going on in this world,” the president said. The president had earlier outlined eight strategic bottlenecks that have stopped Africa from transitioning from third world to first world economies and societies.
He complained of balkanization-fragmentation of Africa-as the major hindrance to the continent’s prosperity. He said Africa’s vastness with numerous natural resources and a small population, which led to complacency and maintenance of small tribal kingdoms, led to colonization of most black countries.
“Colonisation of Africa meant loss of sovereignty, which in turn led to distortion of production patterns in Africa. Africa started producing what they did not consume and consuming what they did not produce. That is the nature of African economies,” he said.
“At our disposal for the last forty years we have this huge landmass with a population that is linked culturally, linguistically and economically. But we have failed to turn it into strength. Why do you (we) love the strength and might of others but you are indifferent to make your own strength. If you know that strength is good why don’t make your own,” the president further attempted to qualify his argument. He said economic integration was “not enough for the security of the black people.”
He said EAC partner states were in a hurry to attain the political federation the idea had been conceived four decades ago. Earlier an East African Community committee had been established to Fast Track the federation. In both Kenya and Tanzania unlike Uganda, the committee findings have been debated.
Museveni said economic integration would not guarantee the future of Africa against foreign forces but rather a political federation. “Economic integration without political federation is slow. When you are planning for several units is slower than planning for one unit. It would take longer for the benefits of integration to reach the whole area. A bigger market supports production more.